WEB-BASED TOOLS FOR ENHANCING TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS Helping to Build a High Quality Teaching Workforce

摘要

This paper presents our ongoing work for designing, developing, and deploying a web-based support tool for pre-service credential candidates in special education programs. Our web-based application is divided into two major components: E-portfolio Manager and Lesson Plan Creator. To help reduce the workload of credential candidates as well as improve their professional teaching skills, we have designed a lesson plan creator system with the idea of shortening the amount of time required for creating sound lesson plans. Another parallel and equally important goal is to help programs manage credential candidates' progress throughout their university work. Our application will move paper-based assignments, artifacts and evaluation forms into digital format for efficient management and assessment of credential candidate work. Additionally, it collects and manages statistical data for program improvement, thus increasing the quality of teaching. This paper offers our discussion on the advantages of the presented technology, as well as our future plans for further development of this evolving system.